Monday, June 30, 2014

People have wondered where Archbishop Beach stands on charismatic gifts in the Church. The following email indicates that he believes in the continuation of the charismatic gifts, as it seems that he quoted from a “word of knowledge” to his church in 2005.

I have had so many requests for the word of knowledge I read at the end of the sermon on Sunday, I am sending it to the whole congregation. It is posted below and came to Fr. Jim Murphy, an Anglican priest in Florida.

foley+

09/07/05
The word of the Lord came to me saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, You mourn and wail and pray for the victims of disasteryou do well in this regard. Those storm battered victims whom I love, whom I came to save, suffer great poverty. They have lost much treasure, much of what their trust was placed in. They have lost many things from which they drew comfort. Yet, declares the Lord, none of their losses were anchored in eternitytheir sorrow is for created things, not the Creator. O how I long for them to have trusted in me, to have drawn comfort from me, but they would not.

Thus says the One through whom all things were made and for whom all things exist, even the Son of Man, Be not conceited of heart, you people called by my name, for your poverty is as deep as those who despair from disaster. Your trust in me is conditional. Your comfort comes from things that are passing away. Repent! Repent, O my people. Your sins and treasures weigh you down and you waste away because of them. Turn! Turn from your evil ways and live.

Thus says the God of all comfort, No one is saved by the riches and might of this world. Truly, despite great strength, nothing in all creation is able to save. For you to trust in things of the created order is but vanity. Truly, you invite disaster as you draw comfort from the illusory heritage of this world. O how I long to have you trust fully in me, to experience true comfort from my very Spirit. If you will but store up for yourselves treasures that are anchored in eternity, declares the Christ, then the glory of the Father will shine like the noonday sun, to give hope for despair.

Spoken through Jim Murphy to the churches in Christ Jesus, Friday morning, September 2nd, 2005.